After breakfast we took care of a few necessities.......like deciding when to leave here (it will be Wednesday am ......rather than Saturday am) and, reservations in Naples, FL for Wednesday and Thursday nights.)
Out in the real world, we did a little photography at the infamous Fort Lauderdale Beach which is only a block away.......sans the "college cuties" and the "drunken brawls". It is a very LOOONNNG beach.........nearly unoccupied this morning.......and clean!
From here we head south to Miami. Taking the interstate (95) seemed like a pretty good idea until........we hit the city traffic. We would NEVER have made it without "Naggy/Nellie". The congestion is further complicated by multiple construction projects and downright rude drivers.
In midtown there is a cultural center which includes the "Historical Museum of Southern Florida, The Miami Museum of Art, and, the Miami Public Library (aka refuge from the heat for the homeless that wander the streets). We bought combo tix for the two museums and went full speed through the history museum. It is very well done and traces known life here from pre-historic times, through the indian tribal life, the arrival of the Spaniards, and on into more modern times as science and technology changed the accessibility of the land opening up more and more territory all of the way to the Keys. One of the Staff talked with us for quite a while.
On to the Art Museum (second half of the combo).......oops! closed on Mondays! We got screwed on this one......only to be topped by a royal scalping at the parking lot.....like $11 for a couple of hours! Did I mention that parking is almost non-existent?! Time to swallow it and move on.................
We drove a few blocks to "Little Havana". Pretty much what you would expect. Crowded little shops and restaurants. Mostly old buildings. Lots of people on the street. No visions of affluence. It seemed very safe (except for the drivers!). As you approach the outskirts of the area, there are larger businesses and restaurants and attractive, colorful small houses with tidy yards and lots of wrought iron. We ate at "La Carreta" which is good and 100% Cuban. No English on this menu!!!
Plenty of time to drive to the waterfront home-museum, "Vizcaya", created by/for James Deering who is known for the John Deere line of farm equipment. The house deliberately gives the impression of a 400 year old Italian villa......but was built in 1913. It is mansion of epic proportions....filled with antiques and relics. Enormous care was taken in selecting EVERYTHING.....from ceilings to wall coverings to dinnerware. This was his summer place and the location was quite remote back then. It sits on Biscayne Bay with a priceless view of Key Biscayne. The design plan extended to the grounds (and waterfront). Extensive formal gardens, water features, statuary, etc. compliment the villa. In earlier times, the property included a working farm and village of families that made up the extensive support system. Villas are designed to be self-supporting. Mr. Deering died a bachelor in 1925. Two nieces were heirs and in 1952 the property was sold to Miami-Dade County. Numerous historical meetings have happened here i.e. The Pope and Ronald Reagan met here in 1987.
We decided not to drive out on Key Biscayne but did drive up the Miami Beach road. More highrise buildings than you can imagine. VERY upscale! The South Beach area has endless examples of excellent Art Deco architecture. The "Guilded Age" was the golden era here!
Back home.....tired! and ready to hear about the General Petraea appearance before Congress, etc. etc. etc.
1 comment:
Who is Carol Genovese ? I am doing some family research and one person I am looking for is a Carol Genovese. I know she attended University of Miami and her parents names were Donald and Madeline Fortier. I know this is a long shot but "nothing ventured nothing gained"
Post a Comment